Washington Paycheck Calculator
Washington withholds no income tax from wages — and yet a Washington pay stub is not the clean three-line stub Texas or Florida shows. Two employee-paid state premiums, Paid Family & Medical Leave and WA Cares, come out of nearly every paycheck in the state, and this calculator itemizes both next to the federal lines.
On this page
Zero income tax, two state lines
The income tax line on a Washington paycheck is a true zero — no state or city in Washington taxes wages in 2026. What Washington does collect from employees is insurance premiums, and they are real money. Paid Family & Medical Leave runs at 1.13% of gross wages in 2026 (up to the $184,500 Social Security cap), of which your employer may pass up to 71.43% to you — about 0.81% of pay, or roughly $726 a year on a $90,000 salary. WA Cares, the state long-term care fund, takes another 0.58% with no wage cap at all. Neither is an income tax; both reduce your take-home, which is why this page shows them as their own lines instead of pretending Washington leaves paychecks alone.
Worked examples
| Annual salary | Washington income tax | PFML + WA Cares | Federal income tax | Social Security & Medicare | Take-home per biweekly check | Annual take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $0 | $694 | $3,820 | $3,825 | $1,602.36 | $41,661 |
| $75,000 | $0 | $1,040 | $7,670 | $5,738 | $2,328.93 | $60,552 |
| $100,000 | $0 | $1,387 | $13,170 | $7,650 | $2,992.03 | $77,793 |
Single filer, paid biweekly, no pre-tax deductions or dependents entered. Generated by the same calculation engine as the calculator above.
The income tax that is coming — for some
Calling Washington a no-income-tax state now needs a date attached. The legislature enacted an income tax in 2026 (ESSB 6346): 9.90% on Washington taxable income above a $1,000,000 standard deduction, first applying to tax years beginning January 1, 2028. For the overwhelming majority of wage earners it will never touch a paycheck, and it changes nothing in 2026 — this calculator applies no part of it. Separately, a 7% capital gains excise tax has applied to large long-term investment gains since 2022; it is not a wage tax, but if you sell appreciated stock while living here it is part of your picture.
What Washington taxes instead
Sales tax, mostly — combined state and local rates run among the highest in the country, above 10% in much of the Seattle area — plus property taxes levied by counties, cities, and school districts. Seattle's payroll expense tax is paid by employers, not deducted from employees. On the paycheck itself, the state's entire claim is the two premium lines above.
Official sources
Every figure in this calculator traces to one of these publications; nothing is estimated from third-party summaries.
- WA Paid Family & Medical Leave — 2026 updates — the 1.13% premium rate, the 71.43% maximum employee share, and the $184,500 wage cap.
- WA Cares Fund — rates — the 0.58% employee premium, which the statute also sets as the maximum.
- Washington Department of Revenue — income tax — no income tax on wages for 2026, and the 2028 tax on high-income individuals.
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — the 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction behind the federal line.
- SSA contribution and benefit base — the 2026 Social Security wage base used for the 6.2% line.
Last reviewed: August 1, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
If Washington has no income tax, what are these deductions on my pay stub?
Almost certainly Paid Family & Medical Leave and WA Cares. PFML funds paid leave and costs you up to 0.81% of wages in 2026 (your employer may also absorb some or all of your share); WA Cares funds a long-term care benefit at 0.58% of all wages. They are insurance premiums with benefits attached, not taxes on income — but they do come out of your check.
Can I get out of paying WA Cares?
A few exemption categories exist — workers who live out of state, certain visa holders, some veterans with service-connected disabilities, and military spouses. The one-time window to opt out with private long-term care insurance closed at the end of 2022. If none of the categories fit, the 0.58% applies.
Is Washington getting an income tax?
One is enacted for 2028: 9.90% on taxable income above a $1,000,000 standard deduction per individual. Unless you earn more than a million dollars a year it will not touch you, and nothing applies before tax years beginning in 2028 — which is why this 2026 calculator carries it as a note rather than a line.
Does Seattle tax my wages?
Not on the employee side. Seattle's payroll expense tax is levied on employers with large payrolls, and no Washington city may tax employee wages. Your stub's state-side lines are PFML and WA Cares regardless of which city you work in.
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This calculator is provided for general educational and estimation purposes only. It does not constitute tax, legal, accounting, or financial advice. This is an estimated take-home pay calculation: your employer's actual withholding may differ based on your federal and state withholding forms, payroll timing, local taxes, benefits and employer payroll settings. Review official IRS and state guidance or consult a qualified tax professional before making decisions.